India has a 7,500 kilometre coastline and so there are
several variations of this recipe for spicy fried fish pieces. It depends not
only on the type of fish available to the area but also the spices and oil used
for frying. This is very popular and can be served up as a starter for a three
course meal or possibly as part of a meal when accompanied with vegetables.
600 grams of any firm white fish (use cod or trevally) cut
into 4-5 centimetre pieces
5 centimetre piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
Another South Indian delight. These are very tasty, fluffy
pancakes most often served for breakfast. Having said that it is available as
“tiffin” in eateries particularly in the Southern part of India. In my years of
trying to replicate uttappam, I found that the temperature in Wellington isn’t
warm enough for fermentation. You get softer uttappams when the batter ferments
and that is why I add apple cider vinegar and soda and also warm the oven to 50
degrees!
Uttappam batter consistency
¾ cup medium or short grain rice
¾ cup idli rawa (this is a coarse semolina like flour
especially available in Indian stores)
This is a quick and easy dinner – start to finish in half an
hour. If you are wondering about the origins of kedgeree, yes it is a very
Anglo Indian dish created in the 18th century for the British
memsahibs.
Smoked warehou kedgeree
INGREDIENTS
50 grams butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
500 grams smoked warehou fillet
3 cardamom pods
1 small cinnamon stick
2 fresh bay leaves
¼ teaspoon turmeric
250 grams Basmati rice
500 ml fish stock (preferably homemade)
Salt to taste
3 soft boiled eggs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges and tomato relish or a fruit chutney to serve
METHOD
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the cardamom
pods, cinnamon stick and bay leaves, then cook for a minute. Add the onions and
cook gently over medium heat for about five minutes until softened.
Add the turmeric and tip in the rice. Stir until all is well
coated. Pour in the stock, add half a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil.
Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and leave to cook very gently for 10-12
minutes.
Meanwhile, bring some water to the boil in a large shallow
pan. Add the smoked warehou and simmer for 3 minutes. Lift it out and leave
until fish is cool enough to handle. Flake the fish, discarding any bones and
skin. Boil the eggs, cool, peel and then chop.
Uncover the rice and gently stir in the fish, Cover with lid
and allow to be heated through for a couple of minutes. Taste, adjust seasoning
and grind some black pepper. Stir in the parsley and eggs. Garnish with the
lemon wedges and serve hot with the relish on the side. Serves 4.
Whether eaten as a snack or a main, this tangy chick pea stew is invariably one of the more popular vegetarian dishes. Channa masala or chole as it is sometimes referred to, can be prepared with tinned chick peas for a quick meal or you can go the whole hog and make from scratch.
There are so many versions of this dish and personally I think you can create your own version using my recipe as a base.
INGREDIENTS
250 grams dried chick peas soaked overnight for a minimum of
8 hours or about 2 x 400 grams tins of chick peas drained
Squid is eaten in many cuisines. It is a good source of
protein, low in fat, a great source of micronutrients and a good choice to eat.
The rules for cooking squid are simple – they require either a short cooking
time on a high heat (such as frying, deepfrying, grilling or BBQ’ing) or long
slow cooking on low heat.
How to prepare the squid tubes?
I like to use frozen squid tubes. It is very easy to prepare them. Once thawed, I cut the tube in the centre and lay it out flat with the inside facing up. Wipe with paper towel and lightly score in a criss-cross pattern. Depending on the size of the tubes, you can then make into 5-6 centimetre long pieces.
I’ve heard a few people
say “Oh, I can’t cook” I often feel like retorting back “Well, have you tried?
I get it that not everyone has the same level of interest in food preparation
but to admit you cannot cook is saying that you don’t have basic survival skills!
There isn’t any excuse because the procedural information is everywhere.
On the not to cook side, I
accept won’t cook as a well-considered choice. There has to be a correlation
between the rise of Uber Eats and the decline of kitchen spaces in new builds
and apartments. If you are a single person and you work out the maths and
economics, it just does not make enough sense to spend time and money shopping,
storing, cooking and washing up. When I mention the initial outlay of buying
pots, pans and pantry basics, then you kind of see the single person’s dilemma.
But, I would still argue that food and cooking are more than transactional.
Cooking is transformative
and you could say it is alchemy. You take produce and in its raw uncooked state
is inedible and unpalatable. You give it a bit of heat, salt and or acid, the
raw state blossoms into something edible, digestible and palatable. There is a
lot of science behind cooking and the change is nothing short of remarkable.
Combine cooking with the culture aspect, you have layers of art, history and
geography rolled into it. This is why cooking is fascinating and food
transcends everything.
Build on what you know.
Cooking engages all your senses. Learn to notice and interpret the signs and
signals food gives you as it goes through the cooking process. To be able to
notice these changes are far more important than religiously sticking to the
recipe. Use the recipe by all means but above all put your heart and love into
what you are cooking and everything will be tasty.
The beauty of food is its
inherent ability to bring people together. When we eat together as a family or
friends or community, we share, we learn, we smile and we connect. Is there a
greater joy than sharing a comforting meal with the people you love?
If I have to sum up my
food philosophy here is what I’d like to follow–
Don’t fear fat – too many
people consider fat the enemy
There is nothing labelled
healthy and unhealthy. It just depends on you, how frequently you eat and how
much of the so called good thing you eat.
Eat a variety of fruits
and vegetables. Give the sugars in fruits a lot of thought and eat more
coloured vegetables and less starchy vegetables. Use starchy vegetables as
starch substitutes only.
Limit the amount of
processed, packaged food you buy and consume. You will save a bundle too if you
only put raw, unprocessed food in your trolley.
If you must have a sweet
treat, consider dark chocolate. 72% dark is an excellent choice to stave off
those sweet urges.
Move your body – exercise
everyday whether it is walking or running or yoga – find your groove and stick
to it.
Chennai, Gateway to South India, is the fourth largest city in India with an approximate population of 9 million people. The city and the greater region has served as an important economic, military and cultural centre for many centuries. Chennai is the state capital of Tamil Nadu and Tamil is the official language here. Tamilians (people belonging to the State of Tamil Nadu) are very parochial and as a visitor it could be frustrating that most of the signs are only in Tamil. Tamilians stand tall and proud as true custodians of their language, culture and customs.
This is a classic vegetable soup. It does have 5 plus
vegetables but it doesn’t have a distinct taste of any particular vegetable.
However it is very soothing and sometimes this is all you need on a cold
winter’s day. I make my soup with some butter and once blitzed, it just looks
so luscious and appetizing.
Vegetable Soup
2 x large carrots washed, peeled and diced
4 x large celery stalks, peeled and sliced 1 centimetre wide
My Amma (Mum) would never waste the stalks whether it is
cauliflower or radish greens. If we had cauliflower for dinner, the next day I
was sure that the stalks would be served up this way. When I was younger and
didn’t know better, I didn’t appreciate it at all. But now I am full of
appreciation for my Amma’s resourcefulness.
Cauli Stalks Koora
300 grams cauliflower stalks (peeled and cut into 2-3
centimetres)
